Narrative:

After landing at a remote airstrip on the deschutes river, looking at a fishing spot, a normal takeoff was made. On climb out, a possible landing spot (emergency) was noted and I decided to make low pass to check for suitability. A 180 degree turn was made back to the south for a high pass and the field looked ok from there. I flew up river to turn around, slow and drop flaps for a low pass. The approach was made at 80 mph with 20 degree flaps about 50-100 ft to the side of the landing area. The landing area seemed to be usable and plenty long. On the go around full power was added, flaps retracted, and a climb out was started. At this time power lines crossing the canyon were noted just in front of the aircraft. The vertical tail contacted a wire, a slight bump was felt, and the aircraft continued on. I was not sure I had really hit the wire, thinking the bump may have been loose items in the cockpit as I maneuvered. The aircraft flew normally (in fact hands off) with no vibrations. I proceeded to a normal landing. Upon inspecting the aircraft, I found the wire hit the vertical stabilizer 6-8 inches from the top and removed the rotating beacon. I later found out the wire was undamaged and I believe minor sheet metal and beacon replacement will repair the damage. Because of the sun angle and the balls on the wire being very faded, the wires showed up very poorly. I feel very lucky and learned my lesson. Even though I made the first 180 degree turn in the area of the wires, I was above them at the time and they did not show up. A careful inspection of the area (2 or 3 turns) from a higher altitude where you have more time to look at the general area should be done.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT SEL SMA STRUCK PWR LINE DURING GAR IN A CANYON NEAR AN OPEN AREA WHICH HE WAS EXAMINING FOR A POSSIBLE EMER LNDG AREA. THE ACFT'S VERT FIN WAS DAMAGED AS THE PWR LINE CAUGHT AND SLID OFF THE TAIL OF THE ACFT WITHOUT BREAKING.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT A REMOTE AIRSTRIP ON THE DESCHUTES RIVER, LOOKING AT A FISHING SPOT, A NORMAL TKOF WAS MADE. ON CLBOUT, A POSSIBLE LNDG SPOT (EMER) WAS NOTED AND I DECIDED TO MAKE LOW PASS TO CHK FOR SUITABILITY. A 180 DEG TURN WAS MADE BACK TO THE S FOR A HIGH PASS AND THE FIELD LOOKED OK FROM THERE. I FLEW UP RIVER TO TURN AROUND, SLOW AND DROP FLAPS FOR A LOW PASS. THE APCH WAS MADE AT 80 MPH WITH 20 DEG FLAPS ABOUT 50-100 FT TO THE SIDE OF THE LNDG AREA. THE LNDG AREA SEEMED TO BE USABLE AND PLENTY LONG. ON THE GAR FULL PWR WAS ADDED, FLAPS RETRACTED, AND A CLBOUT WAS STARTED. AT THIS TIME PWR LINES XING THE CANYON WERE NOTED JUST IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. THE VERT TAIL CONTACTED A WIRE, A SLIGHT BUMP WAS FELT, AND THE ACFT CONTINUED ON. I WAS NOT SURE I HAD REALLY HIT THE WIRE, THINKING THE BUMP MAY HAVE BEEN LOOSE ITEMS IN THE COCKPIT AS I MANEUVERED. THE ACFT FLEW NORMALLY (IN FACT HANDS OFF) WITH NO VIBRATIONS. I PROCEEDED TO A NORMAL LNDG. UPON INSPECTING THE ACFT, I FOUND THE WIRE HIT THE VERT STABILIZER 6-8 INCHES FROM THE TOP AND REMOVED THE ROTATING BEACON. I LATER FOUND OUT THE WIRE WAS UNDAMAGED AND I BELIEVE MINOR SHEET METAL AND BEACON REPLACEMENT WILL REPAIR THE DAMAGE. BECAUSE OF THE SUN ANGLE AND THE BALLS ON THE WIRE BEING VERY FADED, THE WIRES SHOWED UP VERY POORLY. I FEEL VERY LUCKY AND LEARNED MY LESSON. EVEN THOUGH I MADE THE FIRST 180 DEG TURN IN THE AREA OF THE WIRES, I WAS ABOVE THEM AT THE TIME AND THEY DID NOT SHOW UP. A CAREFUL INSPECTION OF THE AREA (2 OR 3 TURNS) FROM A HIGHER ALT WHERE YOU HAVE MORE TIME TO LOOK AT THE GENERAL AREA SHOULD BE DONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.